Educators in higher education worldwide are becoming more aware of the need to utilise new and creative means to develop and deliver programmes to meet the challenges of educating learners in the 21st Century.

One very rewarding strategy is that of tapping into a ready pool of willing and capable retirees.

There is no doubt that retired executives possess numerous skills and competencies which can be utilised in colleges and universities, either on a voluntary or short-term contractual basis.

While not all retirees are interested in continued involvement, many are anxious to serve.

Retirement for them does not mean the end of their involvement in all activities. Rather, it is the beginning of a new and interesting chapter in their lives..

Retired executives, through their years of experience working in various organisations and positions at senior levels, are able to advise programme planners to source suitable and needed human and physical resources for programme delivery.

They are also utilised on a voluntary or short-term contractual basis to fill vacant positions while management does timely searches for permanent replacements.

Retired executives’ involvement in career development programmes can be varied.

The career counselor should select carefully, based on programme needs, from the pool of available retirees.

In my capacity as an administrator and career development specialist, I have successfully utilised the services of many retired executives to aid in the development and delivery of programmes and in an advisory capacity. Their involvement includes:

. Serving on the board of the Career Centre at the University of the West Indies in an advisory capacity.

Here, knowledge of the workplace and what is expected, and making linkages with executives in order to get support for programmes are of vital importance.

Advising and interacting with student representatives on the board also provide useful experience for students.

. Mentoring in the university’s mentorship programme.

This programme requires one person to be assigned to each student and so the number of students facilitated is highly dependent on the number of suitable mentors recruited.

Retired executives will have more time to dedicate to such a programme when compared with volunteers still actively involved in work.

They spend meaningful hours together doing things which help the mentoree to develop useful skills and competencies which they can only garner from being involved in these activities outside of the classroom. Although not in the world of work, retirees use their networking skills and previous knowledge to assist mentorees. They refer mentorees to various persons in organisations, depending on their needs.

. Involvement in the Preparation for the World of Work Programme. Retirees use their world of work experience in various ways, which include identifying student needs for survival in the world of work.

These include work ethics, employers’ expectations of tertiary level graduates and how best to plan and organise a job search.

The retirees therefore are a rich source for updating and improving the content of the world of work programme.

Additionally, some retired executives serve as presenters at seminars and are a major source for helping students to develop their interviewing skills and techniques.

This they do by volunteering to be involved in mock interview sessions.

This exercise is a one-to-one process and gives on-the-spot feedback to students.

. Careers Club advisor.

Retirees give leadership to student leaders in careers club by helping to plan and organise programmes relevant to their needs. The information disseminated by way of presentations on various careers, panel discussions and field trips, exposes students to a variety of information and situations which will help them to make informed career decisions. They also help students to develop other skills relevant to the world of work through the leadership and other positions they occupy in the club.

. Serving on the planning committee for the annual career exposition. Their main support here is to assist in fundraising since the event is financially self-supporting.

They use their networking skills to work with specific organisations to garner support, not only financially but to encourage organisations to see the event as a joint venture in preparing prospective graduates for careers needed to build a dynamic workforce.

. Support for summer employment and work study programmes.

Retirees are a major support for making linkages in organisations when planning these programmes and seeking placement for a large number of students.

They ‘bring the workplace’ to the campus, thereby making entry into organisations on these occasions much easier, especially for first time entrants.

Retired executives if properly utilised can give meaningful service to higher education. Their input can help to enrich programmes, especially those focusing on career development.

Their input can greatly enhance the learning experience therefore making students more prepared for the challenging workplace.

Email: merrithenry@yahoo.com